2013 Leaders in Diversity & Inclusion Recognized

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 19, 2013) - The 2013 winners of the Canada's Best Diversity Employers competition were announced today, recognizing the nation's most progressive organizations in creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. This year's list of winners, expanded to 55 organizations, was announced this morning.

"BMO is the founding sponsor of this important competition, now entering its seventh year," says Lynn Roger, Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer at BMO Financial Group. "Our company is built on diversity, and we continue to succeed by making sure our employees truly reflect the communities we serve."

The Canada's Best Diversity Employers competition recognizes employers who have developed exemplary initiatives in a range of areas, including programs for women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples. Applicants were selected by the editorial team at the Canada's Top 100 Employers project, which manages the competition.

"It is gratifying to see employers across the country expanding their diversity and inclusiveness initiatives," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc. "Our country is a leader in this field and a wide range of employers now recognize that creating an inclusive workplace is a prerequisite to success in today's marketplace."

BMO's own diversity and inclusion programs are also expanding, including such innovative programs as pre-employment training for people with disabilities, as well as scholarship and internship opportunities for Aboriginal students. "BMO has a long history of promoting diversity and inclusion across all areas of its business," added Ms. Roger.

"As diversity and inclusiveness efforts expand, leading organizations are looking beyond the designated groups and towards the individual," says Trevor Wilson, President of TWI Inc., the consulting firm that pioneered a diversity measurement methodology called The Equity Continuum - an industry-recognized diversity measurement methodology - and a founding partner of the competition. "Effective diversity initiatives maximize the human capital each of us brings to our organizations, drawing on our own unique backgrounds, abilities and life experiences."

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $525 billion as at October 31, 2012, and more than 46,000 employees, BMO Financial Group provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions. BMO Financial Group funds the costs of managing the Canada's Best Diversity Employers competition and, as founding sponsor, has taken itself out of consideration for the award.

BMO and TWI did not take part in the selection of winners, which is done by the editorial team at Mediacorp. Their full reasons for selection, explaining why each of the 2013 winners were chosen, were published today online at http://www.CanadasTop100.com/diversity.